Ayano's Philosophy to Living
by Mastermind Ritsu
Summary: They say that all lives spill a story, but some stories just haven't reached the resolution. This philosophy carried it's way through Ayano's thoughts as she was expelled from the Heat Haze before Azami closed the Heat Haze for eternity and ends up in the Vocaloid realm. With the Vocaloids as her new family, Ayano learns to cope with her new life.
1. - Sunset's Foreshadows

_Being a god sure is a lonely fate, right?__  
><em>_Chasing Ideals that will not ever come to light__  
><em>_It was pretty stupid of us to believe__  
><em>_That's something we would ever need  
>-Reincarnation, Vocaloid<em>

* * *

><p>Death is a grey event of sorrow. There's not much colour in a world of death, but mankind can't take a hold of a palette and dabble it with brushes of bright pigments. The same goes for how you can't control when a person has to leave this world. Your time on this earth has already been laid out, and you can't tip the hour glass back over to extend it. Death is something that cannot be explained, but only to be left as a "tragedy."<p>

But in spite of that tragedy, Ayano wanted her death to bring about smiles, not tears. When she figured out that the snake possessing her father was going to cause misery to her family, she intervened his plot by committing suicide. Doing this prevented him reuniting the other snakes inside of her friends and family, but it costed her life. And because of that, she was damned to a wretched purgatory that was supposed to be a paradise known as the "Heat Haze."

This is where her story, or so she believed, ended. She was restrained by a hoard of ebony snakes, coiling and constantly slithering around her. She had become used to this after a long time ago. Ayano wasn't even sure how much time had passed in this realm. Months? Decades? Centuries? This was a place of eternity, thus time stood at a standstill. There were still some elements of heaven about; for Ayano didn't starve, require rest, or age. This feeling of being an inhumane creature was slowly driving her to insanity - to an empty doll in a display case.

One of the things that gave her a bit of hope left was the constant hue of red that plagued this world. Red. It was the colour of her beloved sibling's eyes. It was the colour of her red muffler that she wore just for them. It was the colour of heroes. It was the colour of love - a love she held dearly in her heart, mind, and soul for everyone. And Shintaro.. Oh, Shintaro..

It was at this point that she couldn't control the tears escaping her eyes. She wanted to hold them back, to be the strong, fearless hero that her siblings believed her to be, but some things you just can't take back. A sob escaped her mouth. It was an unheard, scratchy sounding cry that was blocked out from the sound of the millions of snakes surrounding her.

"Please.. don't cry." A feminine voice said, slight scorn in her words. Ayano looked up slowly, looking through the tears to find the voice's source. To her right, she could barely make out a deathly pale woman also surrounded by a tower of snakes. Her brown eyes widened as she recognized it as the gorgon, Azami. The grandmother of Marry and the creator of all this suffering was just a few yards away from her. The Medusa must have known her knowledge on this, because she looked away with a distraught expression. "Don't blame yourself for a mess you didn't cause."

Ayano couldn't bring herself to respond, so Azami continued. "I assume you know of my tale. I fell in love with a dastardly human, and my blindness led me to commit these inhumane acts that resulted in your death. If anything, this was my fault. I killed my daughter, and my granddaughter also paid the price. The world is rotten, this one and the other. In order to save a life, I brought upon massacre upon massacre. I'm sure you know of what I'm talking about." The time loops. Ayano had learned of this right before her passing. In fact, the snake within her father's skin confessed to her exactly what he did, and what he was going to do again if she hadn't interrupted.

"You can despise me all you want. I don't blame you." Azami's voice wavered. "But... I have a plan."

"A-A plan?" Ayano croaked. Azami nodded.

"He's not here, so I'll discuss it with you. You see, your actions changed a lot more things that were to occur than the normal routes He takes. I believe this time around, because of you, my granddaughter will break the chain and send Him slithering back to this dimension. He came from me, you see, the snake possessing your father. The Snake of the Clearing Eyes is what he is. I find it ironic. When I created Him to fulfill my family's ultimate paradise, His eyes closed while mine opened. He's yet to see the error in his calculations, where I have." Azami glanced over to Ayano, then faced away. She closed her eyes.

"Forgive me for rambling. I realize that our time together is short, so I'll get to business. If my granddaughter breaks this loop, He will be expelled back to the Haze. My snakes will also be returned, thus I can promptly shut off this dimension from your world and take back everything that I caused. That includes your friend's powers and memories of this entire thing." Ayano's heart began to race within her small body. Her family could finally be safe. Her death wasn't meaningless after all.

"But before I do, I'm going to send you out of here. I'm giving you back the life that I caused you to take." Azami told her.

Ayano finally could move her mouth again. "But what about you? Aren't you going to escape?" Azami laughed, with it sounding off.

"I'm not worthy of getting a second life. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater good, you know?" She paused. "Your father told me about you before he passed on in this dimension. You're a lovely girl, Ayano. Your compassion and motherly love is needed more in the world. That's something that I lacked, and something I wished that I possessed back then."

"My father was here?" It's not like Ayano tried to look around the Heat Haze before. It was a vast area of emptiness, and it seemed to stretch for miles. The snakes also didn't allow her to move around too much, so exploration was out of the question.

"Indeed. He told me that he didn't need his wish to be carried out any longer because he already found what he was looking for. Your mother and him died earlier. But his last instructions to me was to allow you to keep living, for you have much to experience in your life." Ayano thought of her father back in her childhood days. Him and his siblings used to pretend to be heroes, with his father as the villain. The recollection of hitting him with pillows brought tears to her eyes again. "I won't have enough power to transport you back to your proper place and shut the Haze off permanently. I'm sorry."

"I'll never see my family again..." She thought back to Kano, Kido, and Seto. Shintaro's face flashed in her mind for a moment. She swallowed thickly. "But, even so, as long as they're happy. I'm happy. I don't care if I never get to see them again, or if I wither away to nothing more than a memory, they deserve to wear those grins on their faces. My death was the result of that personal need. I guess you could call me selfish."

"There's nothing selfish when it comes to wishing for another person's goodwill. The selfishness derives from putting yourself into their happiness. Your father and I both know how that felt." Azami trailed off. "Ayano, never forget the Heat Haze. Never forget what has happened. Let these memories remind you never to stray onto the path that I created. But you're a selfless girl, so I'm sure you'll do fine."

"I know you must be feeling a lot of guilt from this entire thing, but I want to say that I don't have any aggression against you. You made a mistake that churned out a lot of mistakes, and humans do that all the time. Perhaps... you're more human than you thought?" Azami was shocked. She wasn't sure what to say. A small smile slid on her face.

"I'm afraid It's time. Farewell, Ayano." A slit in the crimson sky opened up, and snakes expelled from it's ceiling. Ayano watched as Azami tore her hand free from the threshold of the snakes and gained them all back into her palm. Azami broke free from the snakes and levitated away, watching their tower crumble into the bottomless pit below her. A final snake, bigger than the rest, floated down from the hole, which Azami snatched. It hissed and snapped at her. Ayano recognized this as the snake that possessed her father.

"What?! You're free! Impossible!" A husky voice echoed from it. Azami grinned.

"I hope you enjoyed your frolicking, because now it's time for your punishment. I hope you enjoy an eternal slumber with your dear friend Azami." The snake began desperately trying to escape, protesting with pleas of mercy. Azami turned towards Ayano. She raised her hand towards her, creating a spark of light.

"Looks like I'm the hero after all." She said. Ayano braced herself. Azami swiftly shot Ayano with the light, and her vision began to fade away. Alas, the last thing Ayano saw of the Medusa was having herself fall down into the Haze's bottom with the snake, glowing brightly.

* * *

><p>A soothing melody began to resound in Ayano's ears. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of music she had ever heard. It had a calming and upbeat tone, but it lingered some sadness in it's notes. But the sound began to fade away as Ayano's dark dream-like state came to a close. She opened her eyes slowly. The sunlight stung at her eyes, and the hard, cold ground hurt her skin. Everything seemed to hurt at once. Especially the chilly air that nipped at her skin.<p>

But it felt good to feel all of these feelings once more. It was better than the eternal numbness of the Heat Haze. Rising up from her spot on the leaf-covered ground, she gazed around herself to see that she was in a forest of some sort. Trees towered above her with their leaves and branches creating a shade for her comfort. Ayano felt up her hands and began to move them, actually move them. It was a blessing to have mobility again. She smiled and stood up, swaying on her weak legs and spun around like a ballerina. The movement oh her hair and her scarf swung out from her dancing form.

She stopped at last, getting a little dizzy. She recalled Azami's words and took them into account. She decided to take this time to give her gratitude for living. "Thank you, Azami. Thank you, Dad. Thank you, everyone. I'm sorry I won't be coming home for a long time, but I hope you're all doing well." Her words probably fell on God's deaf ears, but she was happy to get it out.

"I have to find a shelter of some sort. Maybe I could sleep in a cave?" Ayano thought about a cartoony version of herself walking into a cave and then getting attacked by bears already inhabiting it. Well that was a bad idea.

"I wouldn't be able to survive out here alone anyways. I'll see if I can find any people and get help." She had to stay on the positive side for now. Ayano began walking through woods. She assumed that she was becoming even more lost than she started out. She guessed on which directions to take; more rights than lefts, and almost fell down a hill at one point. Finally, after hours of walking, she saw what appeared to be a human residence.

Ayano was relieved. Her legs were bleeding from briars, her school uniform was probably ripped, and she probably looked like a mess in general. Maybe these people would take her in for the night and understand her situation. Then again, she would have to repay them. She had no money on her, and she believed that she was rather useless at everything. That wouldn't stop her, though.

She leaned against a tree and gazed up at the grand building. The white house was surely 3 stories wide with a very pleasant garden; lilies and morning glories everywhere. The aroma they created was pleasant, which made Ayano smile. From the looks of this mansion, these people might be very important. She surely didn't want to bother them and considered turning around. Her growling stomach told her otherwise.

"Here goes my luck!" She whispered to herself. Ayano was careful not to step on any of the plants. She made her way to the back door and was about to knock. "Wait, I'll look suspicious if I go this way. I'll try the front door!"

She was thankful that the windows on the side of the house's blinds were pulled down. Ayano came around the front and marveled at the grand staircase which led up to the sleek, white front doors. Her school shoes clicked against the staircase stone as she walked up the stairs. Adjusting her scarf, she stood in front of the front door. Was she to knock? Was there a bell anywhere? Ah, there it was! Ayano pushed it quickly and held her hands in front of her.

The bell produced a pleasant chime; something from an anime perhaps? It was pretty either way. There was no activity for the first few seconds. Ayano sighed.

"Not home. I'll try the next house. At least I didn't have to bother these people." Ayano turned to leave when the door swung open. She quickly turned around to see a female, presumably of the same age. But her long, pink hair and her futuristic, black outfit made Ayano gasp a bit. SHe looked just like that Luka anime girl Shintaro used to listen to!

"Um.. we're not signing autographs today. Thank you." And she tried to shut the door. Ayano nervously reached her hand out to stop her.

"No! I'm not here for an autograph! I need help! Honest!" The girl slowly opened the door again and looked at her. She had a concerned expression on.

"Oh! My apologies! You need medical attention!" Ayano noticed a giant gash on her leg that was bleeding more than it should have. She gained that beauty from tripping over a tree root. Somehow she never noticed. The girl took her hand and began trying to pull her inside. "Forgive my rashness, but this needs to be tended to before it becomes infected. Come with me!"

"D-Do you need any medical records? I'm afraid I have none...at the moment. The least I can tell you is my name." Ayano was pulled into the mansion and admired it's design. The marble floor reflected the hanging chandelier above them which seemed to keep guard over the winding staircase. Ayano couldn't help but hesitate when the girl kept egging her to travel to what Ayano assumed would be the bathroom. They took a turn down a long hallway with many doors and went into one of them; the bathroom.

"Please, sit down here." The girl instructed, pointing at a small seat in the corner. Ayano sat down sheepishly and extended her leg for the girl to apply gauze on it. While she was bandaging her leg, she started talking to her more. "I can't help but notice that you're dressed as Ayano Tateyama. I liked her song! IA sung it wonderfully. I always though that her voice sounded like the sisterly type! "

Ayano blinked.

"You know who I am?"


	2. - Zu Dienen

"What do you mean?" The girl said, looking confused. Ayano reached into her school uniform and took out her wallet. With her tiny hands she pulled out her student ID card and handed it to her. The girl took it and looked over the official data, eyes wide. Ayano was honestly scared of being in this place, considering that this girl dropped her name so casually. Then again, Azami stated that she had entered a different world (Somehow that fact didn't scare her as much as it should have), so maybe in this world there was a version of her that was famous? Man. That would be difficult to explain to her other self.

Anyhow, the woman was still surprised, nonetheless. "Official documentation..." She glanced back up at Ayano and then rose from her spot on the floor. "Please, pardon me for a minute." And with that she walked out the door, shutting the door carefully. Ayano sat on the small stool in silence. It was a relief to have her cuts covered with medicine. However this new situation was probably more sticky than the gauze under the bandages. She listened carefully and heard several voices talking outside in a foreign language that raised quickly to yelling. The conversing ended when the girl reentered the door with a long winded sigh.

"Sorry about that, Ms... Tateyama. I want to ask you something. Did you hit your head any when you got those injuries?" She asked with honesty. Ayano thought back to the time she spent falling in the forest, recalling her hitting her head against the ground. It was nice that she was considerate of internal bleeding.

"Once, but it was just a slight bump." She felt the swollen lump on the back of her head. "But I'm fine! Trust me!"

The girl nodded, putting a hand over her mouth in a thinking pose. "Please don't be offended, but are you experienced in cosplaying?"

"I never cosplayed before, except as a hero for my brothers and sister." Ayano smiled while adjusting her scarf. The girl nodded again. "Why are you asking me this? Is it because I'm in my school uniform and I'm out later than I'm supposed to be? I have an explanation for this, though it will be kinda hard to believe."

"Well... it's just-" The door swung open with another female's head poking out with a surprised expression. Ayano jumped in her seat as the door whooshed open. This also startled the girl in front of her.

"Luka, is it true?! Is that really Ayano Tateyama?!" The girl spoke, her Prussian blue french braid swinging as her head bobbed. Luka, the girl's name apparently, turned to face her.

"Alys!" She scolded her. Alys pushed the door open, which Ayano noticed that she had a lovely plain dress (That was as blue as her hair!) on her being, and was reminded that her clothes probably made her look like a homeless person compared to these finely dressed women. Alys leaned to look at Ayano, and a smile grew on her face.

"Oh my gosh! Your cosplay is _fantastique_!" She pushed Luka out of the way which sent her falling into the wall and took Ayano's hand into her's. She shoot Ayano's arm with such enthusiasm. Ayano retrieved control when the French (That's what she assumed by her accent) female released it. "Forgive my intrusion, but you're just the perfect cosplayer!"

"I'm sorry for disappointing you, but I'm not cosplaying!" Ayano told Alys. Alys's shoulder's drooped. Ayano began to think about their reactions to her thus far. Cosplaying... they knew her name and who she was... could it be... Well, it wasn't hard to believe considering the events that just recently happened. But this was still strange, indeed.

"Luka..." Alys asked her accomplish. "Is this... legit?"

"She said she hit her head. I'm assuming amnesia." Luka whispered. Ayano jolted up out of her seat.

"I'm not lying about who I am! I'm being truthful! I might be famous or something here, I don't really know, but I'm really Ayano Tateyama!" Ayano protested. The trio stood in the bathroom in an awkward silence. None of them was sure of what to say. Luka was the one who finally broke the ice.

"Perhaps it's best to discuss this over some tea."

* * *

><p>The steaming liquid poured into the small tea cup Ayano held in her hands. It felt nice to hold since she had been in the cold for the majority of the day, and she was eager to finally drink something after this time. She raised it to her lips and drank greedily. The tea stung her lips and her tongue, but her desire to finally ingest something overran the pain. Alys sat down the tea kettle onto it's platter, which was resting on the coffee table separating the two couches they were sitting on. Alys was amazed with her actions, but said nothing and sat down besides her. Luka rested on the opposing couch, equally surprised.<p>

Ayano burped, then covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"There's no need to apologize. You drank like you hadn't had a drink in months." Luka observed. Ayano put her hands in her lap, resting the cup onto it's platter with a small clink.

"Well, that's not far from the truth." She confessed.

"So, Ayano, if it's not too much trouble, could you explain how you ended up on our front door? I'll- We'll listen to whatever you have to say." Luka's light blue eyes flickered to Alys and then back to Ayano. The way she spoke with a motherly tone reminded Ayano of her own deceased mother, which made her chest ache. Nonetheless, she had to fill in the blanks. So she inhaled and began.

"Well, you all might not believe anything I'll say, but it's best not to lie. You see, I'm from another world. I... wow... this is hard to explain." Ayano looked down to the ground. "Where I'm from, there was this horrible place called the Heat Haze that I was in for a long time. This place was supposed to be a paradise, but it ended up being a place of pain and suffering. It was inhabited by these snakes that possessed my friends and family when they passed away, which gave them these powers that made them believe that they were monsters. I.. wear this scarf as a tribute to them. I know that they weren't monsters just because their eyes were red. Red is the colour of heroes, and you are in control of whether you become a monster or a hero. We were- they are heroes, and I know this because I'm their big sis, after all.. I'm getting sidetracked."

"That's alright. Keep going!" Alys encouraged. Ayano smiled.

"Alright. I discovered that this snake that was possessing my father was responsible for causing my family's suffering, and I discovered that he was killing them. So in order to prevent his plan of gathering all the snakes together to grant a wish, I committed suicide and ended up in the Heat Haze." Ayano's voice shook. "I-It was awful. It's a terrible place. You can't feel pain, you can't feel anything. You're suspended by snakes and you're to live out the rest of eternity like that..." Luka nodded quickly.

"Skip over that part. It's causing you too much pain, and you don't deserve to remember such." She informed her.

"Y-Yes... of course. Well, there was this woman in there, she was the creator of the Heat Haze. She gathered the snakes once the snake was defeated and destroyed the Heat Haze, but sent me out of there as the last minute. And that's why I'm here." Ayano finished, shaking. Alys and Luka looked at each other, not saying anything. It was a wild ride from start to finish. It would take some time to accept.

"I'm sorry." Alys said.

Ayano put on a smile. "It's okay. What matters is that the Heat Haze can't harm anyone ever again. Can I ask you something?" Luka perked up. "How do you know who I am?"

"Well, this is another wild goose chase to explain, but if you're story is that crazy, then ours should be believable to you too. You see, I'm not human." Ayano blinked.

"Not human?"

"No. I am an android; an artificial machine created to resemble humans. I have feelings, the looks, about everything an average human being has. But what makes me different is that I can't die. Well, unless you blow me up or something." Luka chuckled. "But I'm not dangerous, I can assure you! You see, I was built in order to provide music to humanity. I was created to sing and entertain, and that's what I do!"

"Hey, aren't you the one that smacked Kamui over the head with a large salmon?" Alys chided. Luka shot her a glare.

"I'm not dangerous to you, that is."

Ayano was amazed. "Really? The only robot I knew of was used by this one company to sing... wait, hold on, are you Luka from that singing software program?"

"Yep! The one and only Luka Megurine!" She laughed lightly. "I was surprised when I first met you on the front door. Under ordinary circumstances, every person I run into demands an autograph or pictures because I'm so famous. But you didn't seem to recognize me at all. At least I know why now."

Ayano turned to Alys. "What about you? Are you like her?"

"Yep! Granted I sing in French and Japanese while she sings in English and Japanese." Alys played with her braid. Ayano was completely shocked yet excited to learn this. She was in a futuristic setting with actual computerized people that films in her world used to glorify. How Kido and Kano would love to see this! Oh... Right.

"So, do humans still sing?" Ayano asked.

"Oh, of course! You could call us replacements or fake singers, but we were created because at one point, music was a lost art." Luka sipped some tea from her cup. "What I mean is that humans found music to be a distraction, and with new technological advancements, music became a thing of the past. We were created to revive it, and we did so. People create songs from our voices in a program, and we sing their creations for them. Sometimes we even have concerts!"

"Wow! That's so incredible! I've heard of you from where I come from by a friend's word, but I never imagined that you all had to do with this!" Ayano clapped her hands. "I'm glad you all use your purpose to spread happiness around the world to people! You all sound so amazing! I wish I could compare to you all."

Alys cut off her self doubt. "So, the reason we know about you is because you're a fictional character of a music series here. It's really popular!" Ayano felt her heart beat race.

"I see... that would explain how you didn't believe that I was real. I guess that means a lot of people must know, then." She trailed off, wondering if their story made an impact on someone's life. Maybe it inspired someone to never repeat their mistakes and stay on the right path.

"It must sound weird, huh? I feel the same way, considering we're thought of nothing more than pretty faces with no personalities." Luka said. "Ms. Tateyama, I apologize for mistaking you for a fraud earlier."

"Me too. I thought that you were a cosplayer and I acted rash." Alys looked away.

"No, no! It's fine! Now that I'm educated on the matter, I understand your actions and I have no aggression against any of you. You don't have to call me by any formal titles. Ayano is just fine." Ayano picked up her tea again and begun to drink heavily again. Alys quickly picked up the tea kettle and refilled her cup once she sat it back down. "I'm also sorry for wasting your time. I'm probably a huge bother."

"No, not at all! I'm happy to help, especially someone like you. So, I suppose you have nowhere to go now, am I correct?" Luka folded her hands into her lap. Ayano nodded. "I suppose we could offer you a room for you, since you're too young to register an apartment or own a job, I'm sure."

"What? No, you don't have to! You've done so much for me already!" She shook her head along with the scarf.

"And I'm willing to do more for your sake, Ms. Ta- Ayano. There's no problem with setting up a room and daily meals for you. There's already a lot of us, so one more mouth to feed certainly should not be a problem!"

"I insist that I repay you somehow! It's the least I can do for everything you've done, Ms. Megurine! I'll do anything you desire of me as compensation!" Ayano quickly stood up and bowed. Luka let out a small noise of surprise, blinking quickly. Alys looked at Luka, waiting for her response.

"But that's not necessary-"

"I insist!" Luka closed her eyes, thinking of something Ayano could do.

"Well, there is one thing." Ayano rose up from her bow eagerly. Luka gave her a warm smile. "You see, there's many of us singers, more than you'll be able to count, and we're running all over the place unorganized. We need an assistant to help out with our life, and if you'd like to take that position, which you really don't need to, it's open."

"I'll do it!" Ayano accepted with determination. Luka lowered her head with a smile, then rose from her spot on the sofa. Alys did the same, putting on a navy blue jacket that was behind her.

"Very well, then. I'll take you on a tour of the living area and I'll give you the basic instructions and guidelines of the place. Alys has to leave, so she won't be joining us. She lives elsewhere, but she visits often, so you'll be seeing her again." Luka explained. Alys jerked her head up when her name was dropped.

"Ah, yeah! If you have any problems, just call me and I'll help you out... whenever I get a phone! _Passez une bonne journée!" _Then Alys left with a wave out the front doors. Ayano wished her good luck silently and followed Luka out of the room and down the hall. Luka led her to an exquisite dining hall with separate tables instead of a single dining table. Their boots clicked on the waxed floor, and the ceiling fans above them sent a cool breeze onto their faces.

"Since there's too many of us to seat at a single long table, we arranged it like a cafeteria. We usually dine around the middle of the day and around 6 PM. For breakfast, you just come into this room around and request whatever you desire. The cook here is really nice, so I'm sure you'll get along with her." Luka instructed. Ayano nodded. Then her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in a while. It was loud enough for Luka to hear.

"Ahah.. pardon me." Ayano nervously scratched her head. Luka laughed.

"Don't apologize for things you can't help. This is a perfect time to show you how this place's technology works!" Luka led her into the kitchen and over to the fridge. "You have one of these, don't you? From where you came from?"

"Yes. Though it was always near empty because of my family." She joked. Luka reached in and took out a small tapioca cup. She shut the door by slamming her hip into it and peeled off the lid for Ayano and stuck the plastic spoon that came with the container into it. Luka handed it to her, and Ayano happily ate the frozen treat. It seemed to spark her taste buds, so she wolfed it down.

The tour continued as Luka explained to her more of the basic rules. The androids living here (That she found out were called Vocaloids) all had their own dorm room and not to disturb them unless absolutely necessary. Apparently they also had business meetings and news crews visit them often, so it was best to be on good behavior and stay out of the way of the entire ordeals. There were also people she was absolutely not to cross.

"Now, there's one person that you have to watch out for. Now this person doesn't live here, but they visit often to bug someone who lives here. This person's name is Namine Ritsu." Luka explained. "Ritsu is known for being heavily violent whenever he feels like it, considering he has the anger control of a toddler, and he's rather foul in nature. You can get along with him, but it's difficult. Just wanted to warn you. You'll know him when you see him."

"Ah, I see. I'll do my best, then!" They stopped outside of a room at the end of the hall. "What's this place?"

"This is your room!" Luka opened the door to reveal a luxurious bedroom that Ayano could hardly believe existed. The walls were as red as her scarf, and the queen sized bed sheets were no exception (save for the few white pillows and dots on the comforter.) The sunlight of the giant window gently blowing the curtains reflected the golden beams of the sun onto a red carpet. The room even had a closet and a desk with an odd, futuristic computer resting on top of it. "It was originally reserved for a woman named Ruby, but I hope you like it."

"I love it! It's amazing! Thank you so much!" Ayano bowed before Luka.

"You don't need to thank me. There's a German saying to this, I believe. _"Zu Dienen,"_ which translates roughly into _"to serve."_That's what I'm here for, so it's no problem for me. Please rest for a bit. If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen. 'Cause I'm the cook." She winked and shut Ayano's door. Ayano smiled and turned around, feeling a warm explosion of happiness within her. She hoped that Luka could also feel happy from the amount of kindness she displayed towards Ayano.

"I have to prepare to meet the others and start my job!" She told herself and went to the bathroom built within the room.

* * *

><p><em>As Luka began seasoning a freshly cooked fish, a sudden overwhelming feeling of happiness radiated from within her. She placed a hand onto her chest, wondering what this wonderful feeling was. She smiled and continued chopping the fish with her new found determination. That Ayano child was certainly the definition of happiness.<em>

* * *

><p><em>The reason for the ending bit, you'll find out later. It has to do with Ayano may or may not having her eye power.<em>


	3. - Enigma's Variations

With the bubbles piling over the edge of the black marble tub, Ayano climbed in and let the hot suds sting her many unbandaged cuts. It had been a while since she felt the refreshing feel of a good bath, so she was going to make this last. However, she felt like it would be improper of her to use a lot of the bodily washes that Luka had provided (Or, rather, the bathroom), so she made sure not to waste a bit. While scrubbing her hair with a strawberry scented shampoo, she began thinking over the many events that happened in such little time.

"A society without music.. what made them give up such a wonderful thing? Music is one of the key things in order for people to share ideas and feelings. It's something we needs. So why throw it away?" She said aloud to herself, leaning back into the almost-brown water. "Then again, I can't speak for a society that I'm not from."

She started thinking back to a time at her old school. Shintaro had left his phone out and Ayano couldn't help but tap the home button twice to see what he had been listening to. It was amazing how he had downloaded all of his sister, and it made Ayano pleased that he supported his sister. Then her mind flicked to a memory of trying to get her siblings to dance to an old record of her fathers. Both of these memories were too much for her, and a tear escaped out of the corner of her eye.

Who knew that one little droplet of water could lead to such a giant leak?

Ayano slid the shower doors shut and wept heavily, covering her tear stained face with her hands. She would never see her family or friends again. This fact has been repeated several times now, but now this fact suddenly seemed even worse than before. Her suppressed sobs were sounding more like hyperventilating noises at this point. She tried to be the strong, fearless big sis this entire time, but not even that rogue would hold her up at this point.

When she finally calmed herself down, she began scrubbing her face violently with the provided wash cloth. She couldn't let anyone know she had been crying. This actually wasn't a new thing to her. Back at her place, she used to cry when no one was looking and pretend nothing was wrong,smiling form ear to ear. It usually happened in the shower, the place where her sobs could be drowned out by the pounding of water.

The sound of the water rushing down the drain was perhaps the drowning away of her sorrows, at least for now. Ayano wrapped her body up in a snug white towel and glanced over to her clothes folded neatly upon the sink counter. Rather, they were tattered and dirty, and she needed something to wear. Picking up a comb, she struggled with the tangles in her dark brown hair, but eventually tamed it and slung the wet mess over her shoulders. She looked in the mirror and noticed that her nose was slightly red, but it would surely go away in a few minutes, right?

She applied her red hair clips back into her hair. She took her clothes into her arms, not sure what to do with them. She didn't want to bother Luka or someone with her problems, but she couldn't sew to save her life. Seto was the expert in that area. Perhaps she would seek out Luka anyways. But first, new clothes were the objective.

Ayano was halted in her tracks before she could leave. A sudden wave of warm air erupted from the ceiling, making Ayano cry out in panic. She jumped back, but realized that this air was drying her off. It cut off after several more seconds, leaving her hair and body completely dry. She hesitantly reached behind her to feel a strand of it. She was shocked. Ayano looked upwards and saw a giant fan built within the ceiling. Automatic hair drying? That was an amazing technological advancement!

She stepped out of the room, clothes in hand, and noticed a door that she assumed was the closet. Ayano's bare feet slapped against the wooden floor and twisted the knob open. She was delighted to see an assortment of dresses, all eloquent and rather modern for her age. Ayano was honestly stupefied. She could wear any of these surely expensive outfits of her choice!

"I'll choose this one." She smiled softly to herself. She had chosen a plain white dress with a giant bow on the left waistline. Ah, under garments were a necessity, too! Good thing there was a drawer of them. The clothes were rather big on her petite body, but they fit, nonetheless. The sandals she put on flopped on her feet as she pushed the door open. Vacant hallways with the golden beams of the afternoon sun shone through the windows, creating a beautiful illumination to Ayano. The thing that set off this tranquil setting more perfectly was a soft violin resounding from somewhere deeper in the house.

Ayano's curiosity took the best of her. She slowly descended down the hallway with her luggage. It was a pretty song, most certainly. It had a sad tune to it. She felt like she had heard it before, but couldn't place her finger upon the title. Finally she came to an open door which led into a large auditorium like space. Musical instruments were displayed within the room, all looking more advanced than what she was used to. She peered in to see a female with extravagantly long pink hair fiddling away at a violin. Her strokes upon the instrument were quick and sharp, producing wonderful notes. Ayano's eyes widened. She had never heard such amazing playing in her life.

She even tried to pick up the violin when she was younger. Her mother encouraged her to excel at an instrument as a hobby, but she could never read the notes on the sheet music or keep up in time. Now all she can do is play simple children songs. Besides, her bad grades put her musical experiences on hold. She hasn't touched the violin in over two years, but this female's amazing grace inspired her to pick it up again.

Suddenly the girl went off key and yanked the bow away from the strings. She blew on a giant piece of hair between her eyes in frustration. Ayano observed as she laid the violin down in an open case. The buckles snapped shut on their own. The girl tapped her head with the bow in frustration. Ayano wanted to encourage her not to give up.

"Um.. I still thought that it sounded good!" Ayano complimented. The girl turned around to look at her and almost looked as surprised as Luka had been. Granted now Ayano knew the reason. Though the silence between them was strong, Ayano persisted to keep talking. "I loved the song. It sounded so beautiful! What's the name?"

"_Nimrod_ from _Enigma's Variations._" She simply answered, putting down the bow. "I found it an intriguing piece with lots of emotion built into it that I couldn't resist performing. However, it seems my perfectionist complex couldn't help itself."

"You sounded amazing, regardless!" Ayano gave her a small round of applause. The girl smiled lightly.

"Thank you. You know, I can't help but wonder sometimes. Why do people create music? What drives people to create harmonies and melodies out of a gathering of vibrations and pitches?" She paced over to the large window, also bathed in the honey light. She opened the windows and let a soft breeze drift in. The way it lifted her hair off of her back and the curtains gave Ayano shivers. "It's a question that I want to discover the answer to one day. Is the self expression of a human so amazing that it can wield such power? Why do people do things that stimulate such enriching emotions to pool forth? Of course, I'm simply a machine, so I can't comprehend such a gift. I'm created to sing, not the other way around."

"Ah, is the song really so deep that it raises such questions?" Ayano pushed forth, walking into the room.

"The composer wrote _Nimrod_ for a friend. He was depressed and his friend pushed him to keep composing. And this piece has become so successful that it's been performed at many funerals and other memorial occasions. I tried to give an enlightening approach on it, but you can't take away a solemn tune from a solemn piece, I suppose."

"I guess some things aren't meant to be happy, but even so, that doesn't mean that there are other happy things out there. But I still thought that it was beautiful." Ayano couldn't help but think if that song was played at her funeral, stirring up those emotions again. "Oh, pardon the interruption! Erm, my name is Ayano. Tateyama Ayano. I'm probably going to stay here for a while, depending on the final decision... so I was looking for someone to help me."

The girl flinched at her name, but nonetheless nodded. "I'm IA. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Tateyama. What do you need help with? Perhaps I could be of some assistance."

"Ayano is just fine! Well... you see, my clothes are torn and dirty and I was wondering if someone could help mend them." She held up her little clothes pile in her arms with a weary smile. "I'm not very good at sewing or cleaning, though sweeping is one of my strong points."

"Sewing? I can do that just fine! Let's just wash them first." IA held out her hands to Ayano. She slowly discarded her belongings to the mechanical idol, and she led Ayano to a large cleaning room. It looked highly advanced compared to what Ayano was used to (Granted, this was the future.). There was only one dial on the top, the start button, and a see through door that IA opened and softly put the garments in. With that done, she swung the door shut and started up the machine. IA noticed her confusion and decided to clarify.

"This is a new advancement compared to olden washing machines that you probably still use from where you live, since they're cheaper nowadays. You just place whatever you need to be cleaned inside and the machine scans the articles and does the proper cleaning for you." Ayano smiled, impressed. "Now, may I ask you a question? Is your name really Ayano Tateyama?"

"Hold on, I have my student ID card here somewhere.." Ayano then realized that the wallet within her dress pocket didn't contain her card. She dug through it in frustration. No card. "It's gone!"

"Did you misplace it, perhaps?" IA cocked her head. She obviously wasn't buying what Ayano was saying.

"Last I remember... I gave it to Luka!" She proclaimed. "I'll get it later. But I really am who I'm saying I am. I'm not a cosplayer or whatever you believe me to be. That card is proof, if I had it."

"I see. But I'm a skeptical person. I can't just believe that you're really Ayano Tateyama without valid proof. I don't think there's any trivia I could give you to prove your legibility..." IA tapped her chin. "Well, there is one thing, but..."

"What is it? I'll do whatever it takes to prove that I'm being truthful!"

"You see, when Ayano died, she was given an eye power within the head haze. Alas, she never made it out and gave her eye power to another person. But what I believe is that at the end, everyone's memories and their snakes returned to the heat haze. If that's the case and you're really who you say you are, you perhaps survived the Heat Haze. However, you were technically dead in there, so a snake had to be given to you in order for you to live. So!" IA pointed at her. "If you're really Ayano Tateyama, you must have an eye power!"

"A-A power?!" Her heart thumped within her chest rapidly. The eye power part completely slipped her mind. But if she had one, wouldn't it be acting up right now or something? She knew that her siblings had an awful time controlling their's. Especially poor Kido. Her confidence had dropped so low because of her invisibility. At least now she wouldn't have to deal with her worry of disappearing. But Azami perhaps gave her a snake at random, so she could have anyone's power!

"Yes. Though I have no clue how you could summon it, if you're Ayano, then commence your eye power!" IA's stance reminded Ayano of a stereotypical anime hero that was in actuality an idiot. IA huffed with her hands on her hips, and even though Ayano wanted to laugh, she knew that this wasn't the time and place for that.

"I'll try my best, if I can." Ayano looked IA into her magenta eyes, focusing and hoping that something would happen. A wave of worry shot through her. She covered it up with self confidence and hoped that IA wouldn't notice it. IA's eyes suddenly widened. She slouched a little and then placed a hand over her chest, never taking her eyes off of Ayano. Ayano blinked and held her own hands nervously. What was happening?

"T-There's no way... There's no way.. no way!" IA stumbled backwards and fell into a clothes basket. Ayano dashed to help her up. IA took her small hand and kept staring at her. "Your eyes! They've turned red! I- I..."

"What?!" Ayano looked over to the washing machine's clear glass and indeed noticed that her once brown eyes had turned as red as her muffler. She shrieked and fell back into the same basket IA had. IA fell to her knees and kept her hands over her chest.

"Y-You're... Ayano... " IA choked out. Ayano covered her eyes with her hands. She couldn't move. She was too paralyzed with fear.

"Don't look at me! I might have done something bad!" She heard shuffling noises then felt IA's icy hands grab onto her arms, helping her up. She pulled Ayano's hands off of her eyes.

"No, no! Y-You... gosh where are my words... I'm so awkward, but I think I felt what you were feeling." Ayano looked up at her then. IA looked rather embarrassed. "What I mean is, you conveyed what you were feeling at that moment to me, and I think I'm still feeling it, eheh..."

Ayano realized that her old eye power that she barely kept had been the same thing. Azami hadn't screwed up there. But what made her wonder was why Azami preserved only one snake just for her? Wouldn't it have been better to destroy all the snakes to prevent another Heat Haze incident? But then again, it must have been the only way for her to live, like IA stated. This must have been the least harmful snake that Azami had, so that's why she had it. It wasn't even that useful as a power when it comes to terms of brute force. This entire think through was a mess of irony.

"It must have been the only way to live..." Ayano told her. IA blinked, then lowered her head.

"My apologies for my actions. I'm terribly sorry, but I just can't really believe that this is happening. Granted I'm a living machine... or does that count against living...Anyways, I believe you... Am I dreaming?" IA was disorganized with her information. Her and Ayano were in similar states of confusion and shock. And her power had nothing to do with that mutual negativity.

"I think I'm the one that's dreaming. All this stuff has happened so fast that I barely know what's going on. But what I do know is that I'm alive, and I'm in this building with a bunch of polite people." Ayano and IA jumped when a buzzer went off in the washing machine. The door popped open and there were Ayano's clothes, freshly dried and washed. IA took them out, inspecting for any stray spots.

"I'm never going to get used to this machine's timer. I think they're washed. Come with me to my room and we can keep discussing this issue... But... can I have your autograph?!" IA jumped with a very happy expression. Ayano was astounded that she would want some of her flimsy writing on a piece of paper. She wasn't really that important compared to IA, who apparently was a really famous idol here. But this feeling of importance warmed her heart.

"Of course!"

* * *

><p>"And, long story short, that's why I'm here now. I told this story to Luka earlier, but I doubt she believes me." Ayano sat on the edge of IA's queen sized purple bed, watching IA sew her red scarf's holes up quickly. Her school uniform was already repaired and hang on the door within a plastic covering. IA told her that since the uniform was perhaps precious to her, they should preserve it in an air free location. Thus the bag was brought out. Apparently IA had tons of these already preserving the amazing show outfits in her closet, so she knew better at this stuff.<p>

"But I believe you, so I'll make sure she doesn't throw you out. I think she's trying to find out if you're really who you say you are. Maybe that's why she still has your card." IA bit off the thread from the needle and held up her scarf. "Aha! It's finished!"

"Thank you very much, IA!" Ayano thanked her. "I appreciate all that you've done for me!"

"But I've barely done anything. I should be thanking you for your autograph!" Yep. Her sloppy hand writing was kept behind the glass of a picture frame on her desk for all to see. To be truthful, it was embarrassing. But maybe that's how these idols felt when people asked for copies of their handwriting. But IA's room didn't really give Ayano the feel that she was an actual idol. The childishly hot pink wallpaper with cartoon white flowers and the many magical girl anime posters that littered her wall was more of a junior student's room than an idol's. But that giant flat screen TV in front of her bed and her walk in closet spoke a different story. "Can I wear your scarf? I've always wanted to wear it!"

"Certainly! After all, you fixed it, so you have the privilege. Just don't tell anyone else because they might get jealous." Ayano held up her index finger to her smiling mouth. IA happily jumped off of her bed and swung the long fabric over her. Her short frame let the ends trail on the floor, and the fabric covered her face all the way up to her nose. She looked ridiculous. She seemed too excited to care and struck a heroic pose.

"In the name of justice, I am Sailor Scarf!" IA tried to twirl around in it. Since the ends were too long for her, she slipped and fell onto the floor with a tiny squeak of a scream. Face first, might Ayano add. Ayano threw herself off of the bed and helped her up.

"Are you alright, IA?!" She asked. The idol laughed nervously and took the scarf off of her and handed it back to Ayano. She didn't seem to have any bruises or scratches on her, which was good. Oh, wait. She was an android. It wasn't like she could feel pain... could she?

"Eheh... I guess evil prevails for the day. But soon we'll return because there's always good to defeat evil!" This made Ayano wonder if she was the same person she met playing the violin earlier. She seemed so distant and wise earlier, and now she's a bubbling mess. This reminded her of Kano a bit. He always tried to act like the wise one and the strongest of the group when in actuality he was Ayano's loving and caring little brother, and he still is.

"So you're into magical girls? I always admired how they fought crime while looking stylish." This made her wonder if IA was into Jojo's Bizzare Adventure, one of her favorite animes.

"Magical girls are amazing, I'll say that much. They're so amazing and powerful, and I wish that I could be like that. But all I can do is sing and trip over my own hair. Which happens more than often, I'll promise you that. But even so, they're still people who are compassionate for other people, whether they're weaker or stronger than them. I prefer them over most anime characters because they have a heart. And some times they can sing and turn that into power. Dangit, if only I was part of the I-Style project..." IA muttered. Then she brightened up. "What kinds do you like? Hardly anyone here watches anime!"

"Erm... shojos." Ayano lied. She figured that it would be weird to state that she was interested in man eating monsters that resembled humans and a game of life or death involving cell phones. _"Madoka Magica _was really good. I really admired Homura's spirit of constantly trying to save her best friend from becoming a magical girl over and over again. She stopped at nothing to see that Madoka was safe, and I wish that I could be as strong as her. I died once for my family, and I don't think that I'd be able to do it again. I mean, they probably hate me now for jumping off of that school building, you know? It was a selfish move on my behalf, but what matters is that they're all alive elsewhere. So I guess you could say that I'm actually really weak."

IA remained silent for a few moments. "Hey, you're not weak. You're probably the strongest one of them all. You sacrificed your life for their sake and hid away your problems, I'm sure, from them all in order to see that your family is happy. I doubt any of them would choose to die for someone else so easily, so don't call yourself weak, alrighty?"

"I-I suppose you're right, IA..." Ayano smiled lightly. "I suppose that I should stop thinking so selfishly about this."

"Don't apologize for things you can't help, friend- erm, Ayano. What matters, like you said, is that you're alive, and now you're here. I can assure you, there's not going to be anything like life or death situations here... that are like that. In fact, since you're with us Vocaloids, you're going to have a freaking awesome time with music and showbiz and all that fancy stuff!"

"I've been wondering somethings about this place. Why would people give up music? It's important as well as technology is. People are allowed to express themselves more freely, and music is such a wonderful thing to experience. And why would people create machines in order sing music? No offense, but I think of it like this. Is music been lost for such a long time that people no longer recalled how to make it?" Ayano confessed to IA.

"Well, it has been over a century since music was last continued, I know that much. It was seen as a distraction to humanity, so it was banned and soon forgotten. No one knew how to create music, so machines were the next step for musical advancement. Well, there were manuals, but machines understand things quicker than people. And since Vocaloid is so popular and successful in this society, new of us keep coming into this lovely home in order to make more. You can get rid of something important, but that doesn't mean that it'll return one day. In fact, we were so famous that we overturned the ban. I'm not sure. I'm into the music sociology." IA cocked her head to the side. "I feel like I'm forgetting something..."

"Ah, what?" Ayano hoped that it wasn't something depressing since the the whole music thing was already depressing.

"Eh, I'll remember it in a minute. So, I guess you're aware of being a fictional character here. I'm sure Luka said something about it."

"Yes. I wasn't really surprised to find that out. After all, I've been surrounded by snakes for up to a month." She joked. "It's still a strange thing to get used to, but I do want to know one thing. How awesome am I portrayed in whatever I'm in?"

"Awesome enough to bring tears. I should know..." IA tightened her lip. "Oh! Now I remember! Dinner was supposed to be served a bit ago!"

"How could you forget to eat!?" Ayano exclaimed.

"Hey, when you're talking to a very inspirational fictional character, I think that you would kinda forget that reality exists. Great, now I'm going to have to walk into the kitchen in front of, like, sixty people. Which is only a sand grain compared to what I perform in front of." IA hopped off of her bed. "I think you should come with me. Maybe someone was sent to look for you already. They're probably freaking out."

"Oh!" That consideration completely slipped her mind. "Alright. Do I just leave my uniform here?"

"Yeah, I'll drop it off in your room later. C'mon! I think they're serving yakizakana tonight!" Ayano wrapped her muffler over her neck and followed the enthusiastic girl to her door. IA swung the door open excitedly and apparently hit something. The apparent person groaned from behind the door. IA held up her hand and opened her mouth awkwardly to say something. "Ah.. Hio.."

"No, no. It's fine. I've had worse hit me. Like earlier, Ritsu threw Cubi into my face." Ayano watched a blonde man peak his head out from behind the door. He had his hand over the left side of his face, but his hand didn't hide his gravity defying hair spikes. Ayano almost mistook him for a girl if it hadn't been for his voice. "Long story short, don't interrupt him playing Call of Duty."

"I see..." Hio peaked over IA's shoulders to see Ayano.

"Ah, so you're the girl I was supposed to find. Erm.. Ayano, right? I'm bad with names at the moment because I just had a door smashed into my face." IA slumped her shoulders.

"Yes, I'm Ayano. I'm sorry for making you look for me." She stepped forwards. Hio took his hand off of his face and stuck them into his jacket pockets. This gave Ayano a better close up of his strange crimson eyes. They almost looked like the brigades - and her - eyes. Could he possibly...

"Hey, don't fret over that. It got me away from an annoying virus, so I'm currently jolly and all that. Pardon my manners, I'm Yohioloid." He smiled and stuck out his hand for her to shake. Her tiny hand took his and they shook gently. "So you're the Vocaloid's new assistant. I hear that's a pretty difficult position."

"Even if it is, I think that I can take care of it. I'm a lot stronger than you think!"

"Hey Hio, can we go before Cubi finds you?" IA finally said. Yohioloid looked heavily frightened by whatever this Cubi was.

"Hey you know what? Look at the time. I think we should be going. A lot faster. Now." IA and Ayano followed after the rapidly departing man. Ayano glanced towards IA with uncertainty.

"Hey, it got him to move, didn't it?"

"Who's Cubi?" Ayano whispered to her.

"He has this little companion that looks like a floating cube that follows him all the time. Apparently only he can understand Cubi and apparently Cubi annoys Hio to no end. I hear that he even inspired a really popular fanfiction on the internet called High School of Mu-"

"Say the name of that fic and you KNOW he'll come running." Yohioloid stopped her. "And yes, you're both speaking higher than a whisper. But I don't care because look, the kitchen." Yohioloid stopped out of the room that Ayano and Luka had approached earlier with the doors now closed. A tasty aroma floated out of the cracks, and her less than satisfied stomach growled.

"There's about sixty people in here. You sure you're okay with walking in on that many people?" IA asked Ayano.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, but it'll be nerve wracking." She tightened her scarf for good measure.

"A small step for mankind." Hio muttered to the both of them and swung the doors open.

* * *

><p><em>PS: The fic IA was talking about is called High School of Mutual Memeing and you can find it on a website called Quotev. Please promote that fic. It's amazing.<em>


End file.
